Kukla's Korner Hockey

Entries with the tag: transcript

Q. Just comment on Nathan Horton delivering two Game 7 game-winning goals for you.

COACH JULIEN: Well, he certainly has played like a big-game player obviously. Overtime goals and winning goals. And I think for a guy who hasn’t played in the Playoffs for many years, he certainly has kept a lot of energy inside of him and a lot of obviously excitement to go out there and play the way he did.

And we thought it was fitting, not just for him, but for our team. I think this was probably one of our better games that we’ve played as far as there’s no big mistakes that I saw in the game. I thought it was a well-played Game 7.

We had energy. We had confidence. And certainly had some chances earlier on. But their goaltender was extremely good for them and kept them in the game.

But I thought it was a hard-fought series. Tampa Bay certainly deserves a lot of credit. The fact that where they were before this year for the last few seasons and to come back this year and play the way they did, and then push us straight to the limit in the third round of the Playoffs, I think they deserve a lot of credit.

From the ownership down, they’ve obviously done a pretty good job. And they certainly gave us all we could take. So I think even though they lost, I think they need to be congratulated on their season.

Q. Could you just describe your emotions—obviously your team laid it all out on the line in Game 7—what you’re feeling right now?

COACH BOUCHER: Obviously it’s difficult. It’s difficult because you know what your players put on the ice is every little ounce of energy is left that they have, so there’s a lot of respect that comes at the end of this.

It’s difficult because we were playing these Playoffs for Wayne Fleming. And we know he’s going through a hard battle right now. And we knew that every win that we got put a smile on his face. So that was really important to us.

And it’s too bad we couldn’t put a smile on his face tonight. But we certainly recognize everything he’s done for this team and how close we felt as a family. And obviously he was a big part of it.

So I guess there’s losing but there’s a lot more than that for us. We had a year that was so full of adversity. You start the year and you have half the team that’s new, an entire staff that’s new, an administration that’s new. GM and president, CEO and owner, and so many new people coming together, and I just think it’s outstanding that the players and everybody else involved in the organization was able to get this team to be a team real fast. That’s really difficult, even with a team that you had the previous year.

Q. Just, I guess, a comment from you on your decision to come here this weekend. There’s been some talk that perhaps if you didn’t come, you wouldn’t be eligible to play in the Penguins’ next game.

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, my plan was to come here from the moment that I decided that I wasn’t going to be able to play due to injury. I’d had a talk with Gary Bettman as to the capacity of me being here, what it was going to be.

I obviously wanted to be here, but still want the focus to be on the guys that are here, too, and not the fact that I’m coming.

I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m probably not here playing like I would like to be, but it’s the second-best thing and I’m happy to be here anyway.

Q. Pavel Datsyuk and Nick Lidstrom will be kept out of their next game on Tuesday evening. How do you feel about that? And did you and Gary discuss that if you didn’t come and take part in some of the events, that that would be the issue for you? And I think you play Wednesday next week.

Q. Can you just talk about the atmosphere of the skate this morning? Did you think the guys looked pretty loose?

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, I mean, I thought they were fine. But I haven’t rated that all year, the last three years or any of that, not a big believer that the pregame skate has a whole lot of impact in the outcome of the game.

Q. It’s been clear throughout the year you guys remained level-headed, is that more than anything else the signature of this team, they just never let anything get to them really too much?

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I wouldn’t say that at the start of the last game. At the start of the last game we were nervous, no question about it.

Q. Coach, can you talk about how proud you are, as a head coach, of the effort that your guys showed in Game 5, you had guys with broken noses and injuries, and seeing them come back and Max making the goal, is that the most proud you’ve been of a team in your coaching career?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: They showed a lot of character, there’s no doubt about that. And they see the prize. There’s a lot of sacrifice. It’s nice to get the reward, and they deserve it. It was a game that could go to both sides. We capitalized on the power play. And we get a high stick in the face.

But there’s no doubt, this is a team that faced adversity through the course of the season. And it was not any different last game.

Q. Marc-Andre, someone was telling me that you might have given Al the octopus guy a little squirt with water just as he was doing his twirling thing. If that’s the case, can you describe what the deal was with that?

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY: It was an accident. I just missed my mouth by a little bit. (Laughter) Yep. I don’t know, it was just at the game he does it to us. And after the first two games, I thought I’ll give him a little something back. And we won, so it’s good.

Q. Can you give us an update on Sergei Gonchar and where he’s at and what the expectation is for him for tomorrow night?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: We’re expecting that he’s going to be able to play tomorrow. So that’s a good sign.

Q. Secondly, asking the guys what it’s like physically to come here after a game like that. What’s it like for you? You come down to the rink today and you reflect on last night, what goes through your mind? What are you feeling today?

Q. Sidney, how is everyone feeling today with a little sleep, I guess, but probably a lot of adrenalin?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Feel pretty good. I mean, we’re happy to still be playing. It was definitely a tough one last night. But we’re just happy to really still be playing here.

Q. You said earlier in the season that Gonchar might be one of the least‑recognized stars in the League. Can you just talk about, in your mind, what he brings to this team, not on the ice, but in the way he helps you guys in the room and with your maturity and the way you handle things?

Q. It’s a different game, because this is a clinching game. How much does the message change to your players on a night when the Cup could be won?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: Obviously I’m not here to lie. It’s an important game. But for us, all our focus has to be on tonight’s game. We can’t look at what’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s a Game 7 for us. And we’ve got to make sure we’re going to leave everything on the ice.

Q. You weren’t real happy with Zetterberg after 3. Can you give us your thoughts on that one after 4?

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: That’s not what I said. After 3 what I said was that the coach didn’t do a very good job, and I had some people on the ice too long. I thought those guys are fantastic players, obviously, and they drive the bus for us.

And but they’re like everyone else. We all gotta be good. When I don’t do a good enough job, you gotta ‑ you need to stand up. When you don’t, you gotta be willing to call them out. I thought Zetterberg was fantastic. So was Datsyuk in that five‑on‑three, Kronwall and Lidstrom.

Q. Game 4 is the swing game in any seven‑game series, and a lot of your guys admitted to being nervous before Game 1. Do you think all those nerves are gone for tonight?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, I think so. We know what we have to do. And this becomes the biggest game of the series. So probably a lot of guys are going to have a similar mind‑set to Game 3.

Q. Kind of a lighter question for you here about Colby Armstrong, who is serving as a guest analyst for us. And Colby actually predicted in Game 3 you’d have a big game and you guys would win 3‑2. Do you think he makes a perfect analyst?

Q. Would you like to get the obstruction stuff out of the way first, before I ask my…

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: (Laughter) I said what I had to say yesterday, so let’s move on (Laughter.)

Q. You said the first couple of games nervousness could have been an issue with your team. Do you sense going on in the series that’s less and less the case, and do you think that will be less the case tonight?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: Absolutely. And it’s part of the process with a young team. And the more the series goes on, the more we’re going to feel comfortable and we’re going to be better.

And we got better every game. Our focus gets better every game. And tonight I’m expecting we’re going to play ‑ we played a good game, Game 3, but tonight I’m expecting we’re going to be better as well.

Q. Will you give us your understanding of Holmstrom’s injury and his chances of playing tomorrow?

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: What are the rules? Do we have to talk about the injury or just what part of the body or what do we have to do?

FRANK BROWN: The type.

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: I do a lot of stuff with kids cancer, and there’s a thing called HIPAA-compliance where you can never reveal anything about the person, how come we have to do it in the League? (Laughter.)

Oh, anyway, Holmer’s just got - Holmer’s got the back of his leg, the hamstring. He’s got a little problem there. We think he’ll be fine. He’s a tough guy.

Q. There’s been a lot of attention in terms of the Red Wings, maybe their top 5-man unit, particularly with the defense, people focus on Lidstrom. But can you talk about what Brian Rafalski means. He played with a tremendous Hall-of-Famer in New Jersey, and just kind of gets the short shift of attention in Detroit.

SIDNEY CROSBY: He’s a good puck moving defenseman. He skates well. He’s not the biggest guy, but I think he’s smart and plays his position well. So I think he probably makes up with his size with how well he plays his position, and probably helps anybody he plays with to be that much more solid.

Q. This is a time to kind of celebrate the game, but there’s some sad news yesterday with Luc Bourdon. I know you new him a little from Atlantic Canada Midget Hockey, can you talk about how you’re getting set to play the biggest game of your career and there’s some sad news like that?

Q. Mike, you have a younger, bigger team than Detroit. Brooks was up here earlier talking about how you had hoped to make this a long series, and if so, that you thought you could pound them a little bit and take advantage of the fact that they’re an older team. Can you talk about that a little bit?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: There’s no doubt we want to be physical. And we’re both here to play a physical game. But honestly, we’re taking - the way I see it, we’ll take it game by game. And we’ll see at the end where the result’s going to be.

One thing for me that I see, our team, first of all, is getting better every game. Our team is getting more comfortable every game. Our team’s got more confidence every game.

Q. What do you feel like you did better in Game 3 than you had done in the previous two games, and what do you feel like you have to do better still in Game 4?

ADAM HALL: Well, I think we were just able to do a better job limiting our turnovers and forechecking, and I think that was kind of a key to help creating more offense for us.

MAXIME TALBOT: Yeah, we made some little adjustments. And obviously I think that the desperation in and the crowd got us going. Yes, we had a little slow start, but I think after that yesterday it was a cliche but we talked about getting the first goal, and that was huge for us. And we got it, and it was a different game for us. Because it’s easier to play, when you play against the Detroit Red Wings and they have the lead, it’s kind of hard to come back because they’re so smart and experienced.

Q. Chris, this week all your teammates and coaches have been saying that your ability to bounce back from losses or bad goals and things like that is really one of your strengths. How do you do that so easily, and last night is a game that’s easier or tougher to get past?

CHRIS OSGOOD: It’s over. We didn’t come into the series thinking we were going to win four straight. We were hoping to. But to say we expected it to be a hard series would be right on. Just play the game tomorrow. I mean, the next day, just keep doing the same thing as I’ve been doing. That’s about it. I haven’t really put any thought into last night, this morning.

I thought it was a real good game. Both teams played real well, and somebody has to win and lose every night. We were on the short end last night.

Q. If I could get you both to comment on this. Mike Babcock came in this morning, the morning after a loss, jovial with the media and joking. Can you talk about the way he kind of sets the mood for the team and kind of understands when to go at you and when to give you your space and how his feelings for that kind of thing?

Q. You mentioned last night that you thought you’d overplayed Datsyuk and Zetterberg, if I understand that. Can you explain what you meant and maybe talk a bit about how you assess their play through the first three games and maybe what you’d like to see from them going forward?

COACH MIKE BABCOCK: Well, our plan going into the game last night was, if you look at the game sheet, was to have our shifts at 35 seconds.

So you say that as a coach, you know that means 40. When they end up at 51 seconds and you pile that on over a period of time, 29 or 28 shifts end up to be too many minutes.

Don’t get me wrong. These guys are elite, elite players and they’re trying to win. And sometimes in doing that, instead of just doing your part, you’re on the ice too much.

The media had some questions today for Penguins coach, Michel Therrien. Transcript is below.

Q. A couple of your players last night after the game said that they thought the style that you guys had used to great success to get to this point wasn’t working because of what Detroit was doing. What can you do as a coach to switch up the strategy on this? Does it need to be switched up?

COACH MICHEL THERRIEN: First of all, you’re not coming to the Stanley Cup Final and start to change all your system. It takes years that players feel comfortable. That’s not the way it works.

You have give credit to the Red Wings. They played well. They played well in their building. This is a tough place to play. Yesterday, I liked our work ethic. I think our intensity was there. We have all the reasons in the world to be optimistic as well for Game No. 3. As good as the Red Wings is in their building, we are as good at home, too.

Q. Danny, the way you’ve played this season and, the way the team has played overall this season, does this further validate your decision to leave the Sabres and go to the Flyers?

DANIEL BRIERE: You know what, when I was looking at my options, obviously looking at Philly, you know, very similar as far as offense, where it’s a team that doesn’t just rely on one or two guys or on just one line. We’ve seen it through the year. Everybody’s chipping in.

Yet another NHL teleconference today featured Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco, who has posted and 8-4 record with a sparkling .173 goals-against average, and Dallas captain Brenden Morrow, who has recorded seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 12 games, including two overtime game winners in the series win over San Jose last round.

Here is the transcript of their Q&A.

Q. Marty, you’re just fresh off winning two incredible series and beating two fellow great goalies. I see right off the bat that people are already asking you about your record at Joe Louis. There’s no time to breathe. What do you make of that? Does it mean anything?

Today, the NHL hosted a NHL conference call making Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg available for questions. In ten post-season games Henrik has recorded seven goals and six assists for 13 points, scored two game-winners and leads the league with a plus 10 plus/minus rating.

Transcript from the Q&A is below.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about the chemistry between you and Datsyuk specifically, but also with Homer as well. A lot of good players have difficulty playing with each other, but you have had a chemistry almost from the beginning. Talk about what each of you does that sort of makes this line work very well.

Today, the NHL arranged a teleconference call for the media, speaking with the Staal brothers: Eric of the Carolina Hurricanes, Marc of the New York Rangers and Jordan of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pittsburgh has already clinched a spot in the playoffs, and Carolina leads their division and the Rangers are sixth in the East. If all three clubs make the playoffs, the brothers would become the first set of three brothers to compete in the post-season since 1992 when and the Brotens (Aaron, Neil and Paul) and the Sutters (Brent, Rich and Ron) all competed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Q. Marc and Jordan, I think you guys faced in each in the OHL Playoffs a few years back. I was wondering for each of you what your most vivid memory of that season was competing against each other, if there were any memorable one-on-one battles?

It’s been a busy week for Brad Richards. On Tuesday he was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Dallas Stars along with Johan Holmqvist for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a fourth-round pick in 2009. Last night he played in his first game for the Stars and made it a memorable one by becoming the first player in NHL history to record five assists in his first game with a team as Dallas defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 7 to 4.

Today, Richards participated in an NHL teleconference and below is the transcript of that Q&A with various members of the media.